i886-i887.] 515 



that exists between all the lower forms, both animal and 

 vegetable, showing how they all form one complete ladder of 

 life, mounting gradually from the lower to the higher forms. 

 Those who were not present at the lecture had an opportunity 

 of gathering some of these ideas from Mr. Gray, as he explained 

 them with his specimens around him, and others were enabled 

 to have their recollections revived of that most interesting 

 lecture. 



The members' prize collections of the previous year formed, as 

 usual, a conspicuous feature. Amongst these, Mr. R. LI. 

 Praeger, B. A., showed a collection of native ferns ; Mr. Charles 

 Bulla, of land and fresh water shells ; Mr. J. J. Andrew, one of 

 mosses ; Mr. D. M'Kee, of Carboniferous fossils ; and Mr. J. J. 

 Andrew, of microscopic slides. In the lecture-room were also 

 exhibited some growing ferns, by Mr. W. H. Phillips, illustrat- 

 ing varieties, and what botanists call " sports ;" and also some 

 sprigs of mistletoe having curiously variegated leaves. 



Close by these was a case exhibited by Mr. S. F. Milligan, 

 containing a large number of the small, old-fashioned clay 

 tobacco pipes, commonly known as " Dane's pipes ;" Estuarine 

 shells, &c. These were found nearly ten feet below the surface 

 in foundations of new works at the Bank Buildings. The 

 purposed foundations coming too near to the wall of the large 

 sewer, down which the stream once known as the Belfast river, 

 that flowed through High Street, now runs, it had to be partly 

 diverted, and in the bed these objects have been found, and also 

 some of the stout oaken piles that once formed the margin of 

 the river. Mr. Milligan also exhibited some bronze swords, 

 spearheads, and part of a bronze reaping-hook, from bogs in the 

 Counties of Tyrone and Cavan. A collection ot birdskins from 

 America was exhibited by Mr. R. LI. Praeger, who also showed a 

 curious cylinder of solid brown felt, a yard long and three 

 inches in diameter, the true nature of which elicited many 

 random guesses from the curious, whose astonishment was 

 hardly lessened when they learned it was neither more nor less 

 than the roots of a poplar tree that had found their way into a 

 field drain-pipe and grown and matted themselves into this 

 unique substance. 



